Three cheers as goal haul helps Rangers take home the title

Barrow Rangers and Mullinavat clashed in the Duggan Steel under-13 Roinn C Hurling final at sunny Pairc Seamroga where the old adage - goals win matches proved to be true where a well drilled Paulstown outfit had the sharper eye in front of goal.

After five minutes play Barrow Rangers held the lead 0-2 to 0-1 thanks to Jack Bolger and Jake Barcoe whilst the ’Vat response came from Adam Fitzpatrick.

Tom Carpenter seemed to get the vital touch for the opening goal for Rangers after a booming clearance from Cian O’Reilly who tagged on a pointed free soon after.

Cian Kelly landed a free from distance but a Bolger point left Rangers 1-4 to 0-2 ahead at the water break.

The second quarter saw Jack McShane rifle a goal to the back of the net. The rest of the quarter was tight with Fitzpatrick and Bolger swapping frees to see the difference stretch out to eight points 2-5 to 0-3 at the break.

Again Barrow Rangers started the quarter with a goal from Cathal Fanning after O’Reilly fired a long ball into the edge of square.

O’Reilly tacked on a point soon after. Lesser teams may have folded in the circumstances but these young men from Mullinavat showed real determination to pull themselves back into the game with Fitzpatrick and Kelly sharing the next four points between themselves.

Fitzpatrick was beginning to look dangerous and was through on goal only to be fouled. He popped over the resulting free. Try as they might they simply couldn’t breach the defence rearguard action of Jack Keating, Tadgh O’Connor and O’Reilly.

Bolger’s two late pointed frees ensured the trophy was going to the side clad in blue and white but one had to be impressed at the level of skill on display for a Roinn C final.